Next time you slather on your pricey serums and luxe-y face creams that promise to turn back the hands of time, consider this: Do you use sunscreen every day? An SPF50 is the one product that will stop the ageing process; without it, everything else you put on your skin is a waste of money. With summer almost in full swing, it's more important than ever to have sun safety top of mind. Here's the latest sunscreen range that offers soothing comfort, nourishment, and excellent UV protection. By editor Trudi Brewer.
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Sunscreen is your first line of defence against the sun's harmful UV rays that leave wrinkles and dark spots on your complexion - not to mention the risk of skin cancer. The best sunscreen you can use is one you enjoy wearing. This brings me to what’s new (just in time for summer), a solution for oily, sensitive, and even acne-prone skin. Or, if you're searching for a sunscreen that layers exquisitely under your makeup, here's one brand that offers it all.
Avène Sunscreen Emulsion SPF 50+, $35.
Avène Sunscreen Emulsion SPF 50+, $35
Specifically, this tube offers the essentials you need from sunscreen for the face. It's broad-spectrum, which means it protects your skin from UVA (ageing rays) and UVB (burning rays) and is photostable (won’t degrade in the sun), both crucial. Designed for the most sensitive skin, with a patented 'SunSitive' protection, this brand uses fewer chemical filters to prevent breakouts and skin flareups, and the base, like all Avène skincare, is thermal spring water.
It’s water-resistant for up to 40 minutes, so for running or playing tennis, that's a win. But most importantly, for me, it's paraben-free and boosted with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that works as a backup to your SPF; it helps counteract free radical damage most of us are exposed to daily. Next, let's get to the texture and smell; it's non-greasy, not sticky, and leaves a slight matte dry-to-touch finish on the skin, which makes it ideal for wearing under makeup. Finally, the light citrus floral scent reminds me of a summer holiday in France.
Avène SPF50+ Spray, $40
How convenient is a sunscreen spray? This option is ideal for those hard-to-reach spots on your body often seared by the sun, like behind the knees, the back of the neck, and the tops of the ears. Avène has harnessed all the benefits of the SPF 50 creams and made them into a liquid-like lotion spray with the same combination of active ingredients. 'Sunsitive' technology, vitamin E, and like all Avène skincare, the base is the soothing thermal spring water. Great tip: for a cooling spritz during summer, keep this sunscreen in the fridge it cools the skin and protects simultaneously.
Avène SPF50+ Spray, $40.
Who can use these formulas?
If like me, you’re one of those people who react to sunscreen and find your skin feeling itchy and looking red and blotchy, then this is the SPF range to try. Made for anyone who is hypersensitive to the sun, prone to burning - even when you’re wearing sunblock, or for anyone who dislikes that greasy feeling sunscreen can leave on the skin, or if you want a facial SPF they can wear under makeup - these soothing formulas are ideal.
Sunscreen do's and don’t’s
No sunscreen will stop 100 per cent of the sun's harmful rays from damaging your skin, so make sure you wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, hat, and sunglasses, when you're out under the sun between 11, am and 3 pm high summer.
Make sure you apply sunscreens generously and evenly 20 minutes before you hit the beach or pool. And remember to reapply every two hours, especially if you have been swimming or sweating.
Buy new sunscreen every summer, and keep the bottles out of the direct sunlight.
There are four SPFs in the range. These are ideal for the entire family.
